The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-08-10
A TALK ABOUT PARROTS.
TWENTY THOUSAND PoLLYs IN
THE METROPOLIS.

tcct of Study-Taking Care of
Parrots-Their Memory.
Tho parrot population Of this city is
estimated at twenty thousand. The
Pollys, as they are all called, without
distinction of sex, are interesting sub
iects of study. There are good and bad
parrots, Just as there are good children
and bad children. The bad parrot is
one which has not forgotten the harsh,
discordant screams of parrot language in
the tropical forests, and indulges in them
throughout the hvelong day. He is also
the posscssor of a limited vocabulary of
the 'Polly wants cracker" style, whose
endless rciteration is even more aggrava-
tingly annoying than his natural screech-
ing and chattering.
The screeching nuisance can be dis
couraged and ultimately reformed by
iudiciously administered punishments.
Tho vocabulary can be extended and
made interesting by careful training, and
some mclodious and tuneful whistling
may be taught as pleasant adjunct to
the spoken word. The reason there are
so few good parrots is found in the great
mortality among these birds. While in
the process of reformation and education
they die in such great numbers that
steady stream of recruits is necessarily
kept coming into the country. The re-
suit is to keep down the proportion of
good parrots, birds that can talk con-
siderably, sing something and whistle
tunes.
A Sun reporter had his attention at
tracted by fine parrot in front of Jeffer-
H., ,th,r 1ou AfAa,fN1nfr fO
look Mt it his thoughts reverted to the APP
palling death rate among parrots, and he
was pitying the pretty fellow, when the
latter suddenly perked his head sideways
with the question: whats the matter
with you, hcyl" followed by burst of
uproafious laughter. The owner of the
parrot, John Morris, the florist, was for
years bird fancier, though he does not
now keep birds for sale. Mr.. Morris
talked cntertainingly.
''Sam is very smart bird" said he.
"When you are disposed to pity Sam on
account of any impression on your part
that he is in any danger of losing his eX-
celcnt health, you are away off. l have
three other parrots in just as good shape.
1t is the effect of their care and diet.
They get no bread, no coffee, no fruit,
no vegetables, no hemp seed and
especially no meat They do get plenty
of good, plain canary seed, water, and a
liberal supply of sand and gravel. Two
thirds of the mortality among parrots
comes from over-feeding. Some years
ago came to this conclusion. The birds
that came to me, sick and feverish, with
ragged, dull, and dirty plumage, were
so evidently suffering from dyspepsia,
that over-feeding was the first thought
as to the cause. In their confined state,
having little or no exercise, they suffer if
they arc stuffed with rich, heavy food.
''It occurred to me that canary seed
contained all the necessary elements of
nourishment in simple, easily digestible
form. determined to make the expert
ment. A sick parrot that was brought
in to me was chosen as promising sub
ject. lie had suffered from dyspepsia for
months, and was miserable looking bird,
that seemed bound to die anyway. |
thought he might as well die testing my
treatment as to perish in the old fashioned
way of being stuffed to death. put him
in a clean cage and for twenty-four hours
put no food of any kind in the cups.
Then put in little hemp seed, so that
the bird would neither starve nor get
enough to eat. The hemp seed lasted
only a part of the day, and the next
morning / put in some canary seed.
When :he hemp seed was gone that day
the bird began picking at and playing
with the canary seed. In day or two he
haa<----.s3ed to crack and eat it. Then ]
ffaduaily lessenear -tAe, -efla%sstiity-ef heup
seed, and after awhile supplied nothing
but tue canary seed.
sold bird fanciers shook their heads
and said the bird could not live on canary
seed alonc, and that was bound to lose
him. But | persevered and the result
Justified me. The bird steadily i'm
proved in condition and plumage.
have since repeated the treatment many
times with the same success, and have
adopted canary seed as the standard anC
soleS-sa formV parrots. Several fancieri
and lac.hs who have seen my birds, tried
it, too, and tell you of it for the benef
of the public"
ado parrots have to be kept in yer!
warm temperature"
THAT is the popular belief, but my ex
percncc has been that parrots can be mad
capable OF enduring as much cold as an,
other bird.
do parrots ever forget what the,
have acQuiredln
''Indecd they do. Many persons be
lieve that if they get a good bird it will
continue to talk well. This is a mistake
The memory of a parrot has often to b
refreshed. A bird that has been trainet
=. 10 talk and whistle and sing would,
left 10 itself for few months, forge
these accomplishments and take up tn
cries and screams of its wild state" "
"Do parrots breed in captivityl"
''rhey have been bred in France. Blu
it is troublesome and expensive task t
do it. Besides, the birds are so excita
BILE and jealous when mating that they be
Ncome untitled for pets. They breed S
rapidly in such wide extent of territor
where they remain wild that the suppl
is ample and cheap, and there is not suff
cient inducement to try to raise ther
here. .-Nei0 York Sun.